Share your early maps!

[Caenwyr]

We need to call the River Police.

Hahahaha was thinking the same thing! But come on, cut the guy some slack, this is his early work. I'm sure there's some kind of limitation period for these minor misdemeanors

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[Falconius]

Hahahaha was thinking the same thing! But come on, cut the guy some slack, this is his early work. I'm sure there's some kind of limitation period for these minor misdemeanors

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Yup. Pretty sure we all have a few river skeletons in our closets.

[Marc Moureau]

We need to call the River Police.

Indeed, i know exactly what you're talking about.

In my defense, the original design of the map was made by the client who wanted it on the game board.

I wasn't asked to create the actual map, just draw it on the board.

[Tiana]

To my defense, the original design of the map was made by the client who wanted it on the game board.

I wasn't asked to create the actual map, just draw it on the board.

The artists might sulk but we money making pros know, you gotta do what the client asks you to do. I will change the rivers to be more realistic in my first draft but if they ask me to change them back because that design is important to them, I say, "Okay, here's the new rivers" and that's that.

[Marc Moureau]

The artists might sulk but we money making pros know, you gotta do what the client asks you to do. I will change the rivers to be more realistic in my first draft but if they ask me to change them back because that design is important to them, I say, "Okay, here's the new rivers" and that's that.

You've said it all. The client decides.

However, that doesn't mean I didn't make my share of silly maps back in the days... Most of them on the pages of my notebooks, during classes...

[JoshStolarz]

I did a map for somebody who already had a map published in a couple novels and I was asked to do a new version. As I looked at the map I realized there was a couple river violations ... I opted to help her understand the issue and provided some solutions that wouldn’t dramatically change the map. She was honestly very thankful and more than happy to let me make the changes.

Honestly as the cartographer, you’re the expert and should be the one to help educate. If the client rejects your advice then you have to make the client happy...but in my experience the client is usually thankful to hear from somebody who knows more about the subject.

- Josh

[Tiana]

I did a map for somebody who already had a map published in a couple novels and I was asked to do a new version. As I looked at the map I realized there was a couple river violations ... I opted to help her understand the issue and provided some solutions that wouldn’t dramatically change the map. She was honestly very thankful and more than happy to let me make the changes.

Honestly as the cartographer, you’re the expert and should be the one to help educate. If the client rejects your advice then you have to make the client happy...but in my experience the client is usually thankful to hear from somebody who knows more about the subject.

- Josh

And in my experience, I've been told "this existing in the way I drew it is important to me for story reasons, I know how geography works in the real world and don't care to make it match up to those rules" more than once. So of course it's worth trying to present corrections... but not all clients are so interested in having critiques on their worldbuilding applied. You should help educate them if they want it, but also not staunch their fun if the rivers are actually an enormous elemental being that moves around as it would like, or the king just dug that canal and the consequences are part of the story, or "well they have to travel by boat from here to there and there and then to there" or even "I like the way mine looks better, can you change it to be more like the original?"

I'm glad you've had positive experiences suggesting changes from the client sketch. I have had those too, and have certainly improved people's designs. Not everyone is so willing to have their vision changed though... and I always let them win.

Anyway, I agree, it was a great looking early map, nothing to be ashamed of.

[Ilanthar]

Very nice work, Marc, I really like your color choices on this "early map" of yours.

[Marc Moureau]

Honestly as the cartographer, you’re the expert and should be the one to help educate. If the client rejects your advice then you have to make the client happy...but in my experience the client is usually thankful to hear from somebody who knows more about the subject.

You're absolutely right, except at that time I wasn't a cartographer, much less an expert, just someone who was glad enough to be paid for drawing something.

Very nice work, Marc, I really like your color choices on this "early map" of yours.

Thanks ! Honestly, I wasn't expecting it to draw so much attention.

[Impractical Cartographer]

orcus-swiety.png
I drew this map two years ago.
I like it.
Looking at this map, I see the progress I've made since that time.